Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Melanie Udell
Gender : Female
Age : 53
Race : Unknown
Date : 03/07/2025
Location : Parking lot of a homeless shelter
City : Bismarck
County : Burleigh
State : North Dakota
Agency : Bismarck Police Department
Officer(s) :Not Disclosed
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during mental health welfare check
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On March 7, 2025, at approximately 12:00 p.m., Bismarck police officers responded to a report of a woman appearing intoxicated in an SUV parked at a homeless shelter. Upon arrival, they encountered 53-year-old Melanie Udell. As officers engaged with her, Udell attempted to drive away and was ordered to stop. She allegedly swerved the vehicle toward an officer, missing initially, but on a second attempt, struck an officer, throwing him over a snowbank. In response, both officers fired their weapons at Udell. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The officer who was struck was treated and released from the hospital. Both officers have been placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
